Ten Tips for New Small Businesses

Check out this great article at Yahoo! Small Business



Ten Tips for New Small Businesses

An Advertising Question for Small Businesses- What Works?

Small business owners spend a great deal of their time advertising and marketing their business. Many SOHO business owners have limited dollars to spend on advertising. As such we do what we can and and then hope for the best.

Many businesses aren't exactly sure what works. Newspaper ads, postcards, telephone display ads, which method is more results-driven?

"When you don't know what works, you can't make smart changes to your marketing plans. There's an old saying that 20 percent of advertising is effective, but nobody knows which 20 percent it is," explains Andrew Schwartz, chief marketing officer of AdSymetrix.


"But we've come along and changed the playing field. With our system, we've made it possible to identify what's working. This is something that small businesses, with their tighter advertising budgets, have needed for years."

The Cincinnati-based firm has created a set of tools aimed at helping business owners understand the return on their investment for all advertising dollars. The system tags your ads with a tracking tool which then measures how many people respond to it. Business owners can then view a report that shows what worked and didn't work. Business owners can then adjust their efforts.

The tools work with both online and offline marketing efforts. "This system allows people to be a lot smarter about the way they spend their money," adds Schwartz. "In the end, building and staying in business comes down to making smart decisions when attempting to reach a target audience."

For more information, visit AdSymetrix

Civic Marketing

I have always considered myself civic-minded. Not having much discretionary funds to dole out to worthy causes, I instead have given countless hours of my time over the past two decades. As a business owner you should align yourself with a complimentary worthy cause. In the process you help others in the community and garner publicity for your business.


There are so many worthy causes to choose from your problem may be deciding on just one cause to support. In their book, Off-The-Wall Marketing Ideas, Nancy Michaels and Debbi Karpowicz, have a great section on creating a civic marketing campaign. When deciding what type of organization to align your business with, again, think complimentary. Here are a few of suggestions from the book:


Family-oriented businesses can support youth sports or literacy campaigns.


Food-oriented businesses can support food banks or shelters.


Businesses that appeal to women, like beauty shops, can support shelters or spousal abuse programs.


Pet stores or other animal-themed businesses can support animal shelters and rescue leagues.


An accounting firm can volunteer to help seniors prepare their tax returns.


Clothing stores can support agencies like Goodwill and the Salvation Army.


You get the picture. No matter what type of business you run, there is a worthy cause you can support. It’s a win-win situation for everyone involved.

Create Your Own Holiday

Hairstylist Day, Handshake Day, Pawnbrokers Day. Ever heard of these holidays? Probably not. The sponsors of these holidays are using a free marketing strategy to advertise their businesses. And so can you. Anyone can create their own holiday and have it advertised for free in Chase's Calendar of Events. Make sure that the holiday relates in some way to your particular business and create a special event centered around the holiday. You can also offer appropriate freebies to those who call or write in. If you're lucky, the media will pick up the story and you'll get free publicity.


The deadline for submission for the upcoming 2009 edition is April 15, so if you can come up with an idea before then you can get your entry included. You can also submit an entry online or use the form in the current year's guide. The guide costs just under a hundred bucks but I was able to get my copy for fifty-cents at a library book sale. You can peruse the guide for free at your local library in the reference section if you don't want to purchase it. You can also view a select number of events at the company's website. Publishing giant McGraw-Hill publishes the guides, which have been around for years and years. Lots of writers, including myself, use it because it sparks many ideas for articles based on holidays, anniversaries and special events.


This is a great and free way to advertise your business. If you already have an event that you sponsor, please consider listing it in Chase. If not, you still have time to sit down and come up with an idea before the deadline.

Resource: Tax Talk

The IRS offers a free program called, Tax Talk Today, aimed at keeping business owners informed of current tax issues and policies. You can view the programs live via the Internet, access the archive for missed broadcasts, or order a VHS tape. Each one-hour program airs at 2 p.m. (ET). January's broadcast aired January 8. Upcoming dates in 2008 are:


March 11
May 13
July 8
September 9
October 21 (tentative)
December 9 (tentative)


Go here for more information.

Creative Marketing Idea- Fortune Cookies

Whenever I go out to eat Chinese food, I eagerly await the bestowing of the fortune cookie. Mind you, I don’t like fortune cookies, never eat them in fact. What I crave is the message inside. Be it wise or witty, I enjoy reading my fortune and have on occasion keep a few gems that I thought were apropos. You can give prospective and present clients and customers that same feeling of wonderment. Fortune cookies with your own preprinted message have gained in popularity over the years. What a great way to send a message and give a little treat at the same time. You can send the cookies any time of the year as part of your marketing plan or you can send them in celebration of the Chinese New Year. Just be sure to make your message both witty and memorable.


Where to start? The Internet lists thousands of companies offering personalized fortune cookies. You can order traditional cookies, like the kind you get in restaurants, or you can order giant cookies, cookies dipped in chocolate or other treats. For the best deal, order the restaurant-style cookies and save the specialty ones for special times. For example, you can send one to present customers or clients in celebration of a special event like an anniversary.

Here are a few companies to get you started:


Fortune Cookies Store offers custom printed cookies in quantities of 50-10,000. Messages are printed with a 70 character maximum, including spaces.


Custom Fortune Cookie Company allows you to order cookies by the dozen. Message cannot exceed 90 characters.


Fancy Fortune Cookies requires a minimum order of 100 cookies. They will print five different messages, 30 characters per line, 3 line minimum.


These are just three of the thousands of companies you can choose from. And the cost of the cookies is relatively inexpensive. For instance, the 100 cookies from Fancy Fortune cost just 38 bucks plus sales tax.

Small Business Tax Workshop

Death and taxes. We can’t escape either. As a SOHO business owner you don’t want your Uncle Sam getting miffed at you because you don’t understand all the rules and regulations concerning your tax obligations. Have no fear. If you have four hours, you can learn everything you need to know about taxes. Just load your free virtual small business tax workshop DVD into your computer and get down to business.


The DVD is available from the IRS and offers, in 10 lessons, information and resources for both new and established small businesses. Lessons include:

How to Set Up and Run Your Business So Paying Taxes Isn’t a Hassle

What You Need to Know When You Run Your Business Out of Your Home, and

How to Make Tax Deposits and File Your Payroll Taxes.


Don’t delay, get your copy today. You can order a copy by going here.


You can also order a copy by calling the IRS at (800) 829-3676. Ask for
Publication 1066C, A Virtual Small Business Tax Workshop DVD.